Marketing

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Marketing Sales RoundtablePlanning
Successful Company and Product LaunchesSeptember
2004
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Agenda
1130 Introductions/Objectives 1145 Company
and Product Launches Presentation and
Discussion 115 Summary and Wrap-up
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The Importance of Launches

• A company.must choose a launch strategy that is
  consistent with its intended positioning. The
  launch strategy should be the first step in a
  grand plan for life-cycle marketing.
• Philip Kotler
• Marketing Management

Does your product launch plan reflect all of the
money and time put into developing the product?
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Some Factoids

• 85 of new B2B products are failures
• 95 of new consumer products are failures
• Failures doesnt meet company objectives,
  withdrawn from market within 12-18 months

Source New Product News
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Positioning Strategy Process
Market/Customer Segmentation
Competitive Differentiation
Market Vision
Strategy Evidence
Market Entry Customer Segment Critical Need and
Total Product Requirements
Market Drivers
Positioning StrategyStatement
Market Segment
TechnologyEnablers
Total Product Assets
Company Total Product Solutions
Potential Differentiators
Customer Segments
Customer/End-User Problem(s)Definition
Technology and Total Product Roadmap
Competitors Total Product Solutions Potential
Differentiators
Critical Needs
Applications
Partnerships
Barriers to Adoption
Company Product/Service Match
Product/Market Category
Business Model
Market Entry Customer Segment Roadmap and Market
Segment Leadership Roadmap
Company Differentiator
Mission Statement
(Functional) Programs
POSITIONING STRATEGY
BRANDING STRATEGY
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Positioning Both Company and Product
Company Positioning Strategy

• Market
• Technology

• Product
• Company

Product 1
Product 2
Product 3

• Technology
• Functions/Benefits

• Technology
• Functions/Benefits

• Technology
• Functions/Benefits

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Launch Objectives

• Unite company around shared objective making the
  launch successful
• Provide strategy evidence of the companys
  intent, and right, to be a market segment leader
  in product/service category
• Build independent third-party validation, and
  strategy evidence, of positioning strategy
• Start the buzz, market pull with a consistent
  message architecture
• Support long leadtime sales cycles
• Facilitate fundraising

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Launch Objectives (cont)

• Establish core technology/system as an extensible
  platform for future products and partnerships
• Establish broad-based awareness and credibility
  with xxx customer segment
• Generate market momentum/Accelerate the sales
  cycle for Product XXX delay customer purchase
  commitments to competitors

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New Venture Launch Phases

• Company funding announcements PWC MoneyTree,
  Venture Wire, etc.
• Company Stealth mode
• Identify system lite business cards, industry
  event attendance
• Content-free microwebsite contact info,
  investors, team, etc. (note may have
  password-protected real site)
• Phone listing
• Company launch Seeding the market
• Company team, market vision
• Technology platform
• Product category, general problem addressed
• Product launch Going public
• Positioning strategy problem solved, market and
  market entry customer segment, competitive
  differentiation
• Product details architecture, technology and
  product roadmap
• Key customers and partners (especially channels)
• Pricing and product availability information
• A grown-up website

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Pre-Announcing a Product?

• Why?
• Complex problem/solution market education
• Big budget line item product long budget cycle,
  complex buying process
• Competitive pressures
• Need market buzz for funding round
• Risks?
• Too much competitive information, too early
• Market environment can change substantively
• Product development slips
• Obsolete an existing product
• Analysts/Media wont cover the real deal

Often executed as a crescendo launch, a
series of targeted announcements leading up to
product launch
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Pre-Announcing Tips

• Do
• Describe key elements of technology
• Explain benefits of technology/potential
  applications enabled
• Articulate initial total product assumptions
  (services, standards, partnerships, etc.)
• Dont
• Name product, provide specifications
• Announce pricing
• Provide precise launch date

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Launch Dependencies Strategy Evidence
ProductConcept
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
Be prepared to postpone for key pieces of
strategy evidence!
Go/No Go
LaunchPlanning
Strategic Partnerships (channel)
Go/No Go
Post Sales Support Plan
Ongoing MarketReinforcement
LaunchDate
? 18 months
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Launch Plan Outline

• Positioning Strategy Statement and Message
  Architecture
• Objectives and Strategies
• Competitors/Competitive Response
• Market leverage/Influencer plan
• Sales training and lead generation (closed loop)
• Marketing programs materials
• Schedule/Timeline
• Momentum milestones
• Appendix
• - positioning toolkit
• - customer segment profile
• - buying decision process

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Launch Checklist Some Strategy Evidence Options

• Positioning Toolkit
• Sales, channel strategy
• Product Release schedule
• Programs
• Ads, site sponsorships
• CD, Flash demo
• Customer seminars
• Data sheets, application notes
• Direct mail, e-mail, list promotions
• Newsletters
• Sales, channel launch training
• Trial, swap-up program
• Trade shows, conferences, events suite briefings
• Advance press and analyst tour
• Speaker program
• Regional field sales champions
• User groups, customer councils
• Webcasts/Webinars with guest

• Materials
• Brochures
• Data sheets, application notes
• Presentations
• Price lists
• Product catalogs
• Product demonstrations
• Product roadmap
• Press releases
• Technical articles
• Technology, company backgrounders
• Testimonials
• White papers
• Web site update

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Launch Manager is Command and Control

Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing
Weekly Status and Project Management
Product Development/ Technical Marketing Data
Sheets Demos
Sales Customer Advocates Content

Launch Program Manager
CTO/Guru White Papers, Simulation Strategies
Press/Analyst Relations, Materials Production
Shows, Conferences, Events
Strategic Partners, Investor Relations
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Launch Responsibilities
Launch Strategy
Marcom Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing
Product Marketing Data Sheets Demos
Marcom Press/Analyst Relations, Collateral
Biz Dev Strategic Partners
Marcom Tradeshows, Conferences, Events
CTO/Guru White Papers, Simulation Strategies
Sales Customer Advocates Content
Finance Investor Relations
Product Development Product Availability
Launch Manager and Champion
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Developing Strategy Evidence Market Leverage
Model
Education
Market Segment
BUS I N E S S p R E S S
T R A D E P R E S S
F I N A N C I A L
INVESTORS
P A R T N E R S
I N D U S T R Y
A N A L Y S T S
A N A L Y S T S
E D I T O R S
A C C O U N T S
C H A N N E L
E D I T O R S
T A R G E T
SALES
MarketEntryCustomer Segment
Company
Validation
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Market Leverage/Influencer Plan
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Launch Pitfalls

• Launch planning starts too late in product
  development process
• Positioning strategy half-baked and untested,
  externally
• Not enough (credible) strategy evidence bug-free
  product, the right at least one Tier 1 -
  customer testimonials and references (negotiated
  into contracts), application notes and
  documentation, channels, customer support
• Proper market foundation has not been laid, no
  one has heard of the company or product
• A non-programmatic approach (escapes vs.
  launches) lack of launch manager, market
  leverage and message models, launch objectives,
  plan, measurable goals
• Lack of fully integrated plan (from product
  management to marketing communications to product
  development)

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Summary and Wrap-Up
The Launch Plan is the chance to get the company
and product off to a good start in the market!
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Presenters

• Rosemary Remacle, Consultant
• Market Focus
• 408-244-0412
• rosemary_at_mktfocus.net